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Ulviyya Poladova

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For the first time in more than half a century, humans have ventured to the Moon and returned safely to Earth -marking a defining moment in the new era of space exploration, AzerNEWS reports via the press service of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The crew of Artemis II has completed a groundbreaking journey, signaling that humanity is not just revisiting the Moon.

Aboard NASA’s powerful Space Launch System rocket and the Orion spacecraft, astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen embarked on a nearly 10-day mission that pushed the boundaries of human exploration. Traveling a total distance of 694,481 miles, the crew reached an astonishing 252,756 miles from Earth - farther than any humans have ever gone, surpassing even the legendary Apollo 13 record.

Their journey ended dramatically yet safely, with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.

NASA designed Artemis II not just as a voyage, but as a proving ground for the future. It was the first time astronauts flew aboard the Orion spacecraft in deep space, testing every critical system.

During the mission, the crew performed a close lunar flyby, passing just 4,067 miles above the Moon’s surface. Along the way, they captured over 7,000 images, including breathtaking views of Earth rising over the lunar horizon, shadowed craters, and even a solar eclipse from deep space - a perspective few humans have ever witnessed.

Beyond its symbolic importance, Artemis II was packed with scientific objectives. Experiments like the AVATAR study examined how human tissue responds to deep space conditions, helping scientists better understand the risks astronauts will face on long-duration missions.

Credit: Bill Ingalls / NASA